Al-Hayat reports in Arabic that the Iraqi government is about to send troops into Diyala in an attempt to tamp down violence and combat local militias there, just as was done in Basra, Maysan and Mosul. I have begun to wonder whether the secret of these campaigns is not so much the show of military force as the behind-the-scene bribes given by the government to insurgents to go find another line of work. It still boggles my mind that Mosul could be taken without a shot (though it has suffered from terrorism strikes in the aftermath.

Alexandra Davis points out that Iraq’s election law is still incomplete, casting doubt about whether provincial elections will be held this fall. Not only that, but cabinet-level decisions such as whether to allow the display of photos of religious personages in connection with political campaigns will now be review and possibly changed by the parliament.

Zavis also reports that Baghdad is putting in solar-powered street lamps. It is hoped that they will reduce crime and violence. The regular electricity grid is unreliable. By the way, the LAT quotes a general suggesting that solar electricity generation is six or seven times as expensive as with fossil fuels. Isn’t that estimate out of date? I thought it was down to only three times. Engineers, please weigh in.

Peaceful marchers in Hawija demanded that Kirkuk’s provincial elections take place on schedule. . . [To interpret this item we have to know if they were Kurds, who are trying to take over the province and incorporate it into the Kurdistan Regional Government.]

Fallujah is under a curfew following yesterday’s pair of bomb blasts targeting local officials. . .